The Ktunaxa Nation, Retirement Concepts and the BC RCMP are just three of over 35 employers who will be present at the Black Press Extreme Education and Career Fair today in Cranbrook. (Phil McLachlan/Black Press)

Black Press Kootenay Career Fair underway in Cranbrook

Today, Thursday, August 22, around 40 employers will be waiting to meet potential new employees

Doors are opening in just a few minutes at the Days Inn, at 600 Cranbrook Street North. Come on by and say hello. Bring a resume, bring your questions.

At the career fair, around 40 employers will be set up, waiting to shake hands with their potential new employees.

Whether your passion lies in caring for the elderly, managing at team of hardworking staff, or getting your hands dirty working in the belly of a Canadian naval ship, the opportunity to start anew is at your fingertips.

With Interior Health, Ktunaxa Nation, Canadian Armed Forces, WorkBC, BC RCMP, CIBC, City of Cranbrook, Centre for Arts and Technology, Mike Wiegele Helicopter Skiing and more attending the fair, the options are endless. Care specialist Christy Baker says anyone attending the career fair is bound to walk away with a broadened view of the opportunities available.

“Sometimes there’s a lot of transferable skills that you may have already created or developed over time that are actually quite transferable in this type of setting,” she said.

“I think most often we see people that really have identified as wanting to work with people.”

For Baker, who works as the general manager at Retirement Concepts’ Summerland Seniors Village, caring for people has always been second nature. For her entire career, 30 years of which were spent in Alberta, she has worked with seniors and people with developmental disabilities.

Retirement Concepts is a community that provides assisted living, independent living and residential or complex care of the aging population or people that require assistance.

By far, Baker said the most rewarding part about her job is getting to work with people every day.

“The people that live here are such wonderful people, and it’s very, very rewarding. When you go home, you really feel like you haven’t worked a job. It’s coming to [do] what you love,” she said.

To succeed in any human services job, Baker stressed that a person must possess several key qualities; empathy, compassion, understanding and commitment.

Retirement Concepts is one of many organizations that will be present at the Kootenay Career Fair. The company will be advertising their available positions which include registered care aids, support service workers, housekeepers, dietary aids, an LPN (Licensed Practical Nurse) and more.